Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
The U.N. has ordered talks to begin on the legal status of Kosovo, the Serbian province whose secession in 1999 prompted a Serbian crackdown and a NATO intervention. Kosovo, populated mostly by ethnic Albanians, wants independence. But the province has deep historic ties to Serbia, which refuses to let it go. Seasoned negotiator Martti Ahtisaari, a Finnish diplomat, will take on the job of mediating the talks. He’ll have to meet with each side separately, as the Serbs and Kosovars refuse to be in the same room. “Desirable as it would be to imagine that you could have two delegations sitting opposite each other and start agreeing on status,” said Soren Jessen-Petersen, the U.N. administrator of Kosovo, “it’s not realistic.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellationCartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop sceneIn the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Crossword: July 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
